Soundtrack Review: Ceremony (2011)
| Reviewer: JØrn Tillnes |
Ceremony Soundtrack Review: This is a review of the film score Ceremony by Eric D. Johnson.
"Eric D. Johnson has delivered a score this movie needed according to the director, and so he has succeeded"
Ceremony is a quirky love story, basically a romantic comedy about a guy who wants his old flame back. Trouble is, she is getting married this week so he decides to crash the wedding and get her back. Starring Uma Thurman and directed by Max Winkler, this comedy might be interesting, but what about the score? Lakeshore Records just released a soundtrack featuring the score by Eric D. Johnson.
Track List
| 1. Overture | *** |
| 2. Dos Gauchos en El Camino | **** |
| 3. At the Mohican | *** |
| 4. Uncle Teddy | *** |
| 5. Brief Encounter | *** |
| 7. Zoe on the Beach | *** |
| 8. Married?! | *** |
| 10. Sam by the Window | ** |
| 11. Plots and Entrees | **** |
| 13. Marshall Finds the Ring | ** |
| 14. Paper Chase | ** |
Eric D. Johnson is a singer/songwriter and sole permanent member of the Fruit Bats. In addition to composing the music for Ceremony, he has also composed the music for the upcoming film "My Idiot Brother".
Folksy
Let me get this out of the way first. This is NOT your standard film score. Some would say it's a good thing, others will ask why and move on. There's very little orchestra work going on, in fact, it's pretty much one guy and a guitar plus a piano all the way and the score feels folksy.
Folk music, Americana, guitar playing salsa, even some Mexicana. It is a bizarre mix, but I wouldn't call it experimental. It's a quirky score, and by the looks of it, the film is a bit like that too.
Perhaps then, Eric D. Johnson has hit the bullseye. Director Max Winkler seems to think so and that's all that matters in their world. In my world, and probably yours, there has to be a lot more than that.
This is where it fails to me. It's very indie, very non-traditional film music. It feels more like a folk album. In the cue 'Overture' you get everything you need to know about this score. It feels like the same cue all over except for 'Dos Gauchos en El Camino' and 'Plots and Entrees' that actually has something different and a little fun.
Conclusion
Personally this score didn't mesh with me as I'd hoped. It is a bit weird and if I wanted to hear music like this, there's probably thousand other indie bands I could listen to. Still, Eric D. Johnson has delivered a score this movie needed according to the director, and so he has succeeded. Buy it at your own peril!
CUE RATING: 58.1
->Buy the MP3 Album on Amazon<-
Listen to the Ceremony soundtrack by Eric D. Johnson below:
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